Pages

Friday, July 21, 2017

Alright guys. It’s time. New camera, new collection, and a new ride. This is a 1956 Ford F100, and it’s part of the new “Penguin Collection”. This is at the Penguin Hot Rods’ location at Winter Park Paint and Collision located in Florida.

You may remember a 1968 Mustang fastback that I filmed a while back from the Retro Collection. The guy who owns that, owns this truck, and the Mustang’s current state isn’t much better.

The story behind the truck (and the Mustang) is when he was growing up, his father owned the truck and Mustang. His father told him that he could only have one. Naturally, he picked the Mustang, but now he has both.

While this truck may not look like much now, the restoration was started at one point. This included putting the body on the frame from a 1980s Crown Vic. It also sports the drive train from that car as well, which would be a 5.0 V8.

This truck is far from complete though. It’s rough, sort of rusty, and missing just about everything but the engine, frame, and body. Well, there are a bunch of parts tossed in the bed and in the cab, so perhaps all of those loose bits could be enough to form a complete truck. This truck (and the Mustang) WILL be restored, but for now, she remains sitting, Rotting in Style.

To see more from this collection, and quite a bunch still left over from Alaska and the other collections shot on lesser quality cameras, then make sure you come back to The Random Automotive. Make sure you head on over and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for some exclusive content! Thanks for stopping by.

Thursday, June 15, 2017

This is going to be another post regarding Torino Time and my 1971 Ford Torino 500, but this will be a little different. Most of the time, I just tell you what I’m doing. Well, here is a how to! The leak on my transmission pan was getting pretty bad, so I decided that it was time to replace it.

This car has a standard Ford C4 transmission, but the basic principles of this apply to most transmissions. It’s pretty straight forward, and you don’t need much experience to do it. However, I would always recommend taking your car to a mechanic if you feel uncomfortable.There is a video at the end of this article, in the event you would like a more comedic version of this.

What You Need

Jack stands or lift

Drip pan

Ratchet

Deep sockets – 1/2”, 5/16”, and 7/16”

Flathead screwdriver

Your new gasket (and filter, if your kit came with one)

Brakleen (for cleaning the pan)

Step 1 – Lift the car

I would always suggest a lift if you have access to one. If you don’t, use jack stands. You shouldn’t work under a car that is supported by just jack stands, but if it’s your only option, make sure they are on level and solid ground.

Step 2 – Remove the bolts and drain the fluid

The C4 does not have a drain plug, so the fluid will start to leak once you loosen the bolts. Use your 1/2" socket to remove the side, front, and back bolts. Leave the corner ones for last. Remove your rear corner bolts, and loosen the front ones. Your pan will begin to hang, and fluid will start dripping out, so have your drip pan ready! If you use a screwdriver to assist in the tilting of the pan, be very careful! You don’t want to bend the edges of the pan. After the fluid stops pouring out, remove the front two bolts. Hold the bottom of the pan so it doesn’t fall.

Step 3 – Clean the pan

While the rest of the fluid drips out, take this time to clean the pan. Peel or scrape off the old gasket. Spray and wipe the pan down with Brakleen, or a cleaner of your choice. Make sure none of the old gasket is left behind on the pan. You may need to scrape some off with a razor blade. You need a clean surface with none of the old gasket left to assure a good seal.

Step 4 – Remove the old filter (if you have a new one)

Get back under the car! Take your 5/16” socket and remove the bolts for the filter. The last one is toward the front, and that is 7/16”. There is a spring with a guide rod on the driver side of the filter. It will want to pop out. Be careful not to lose it. Inspect the filter for any metal fragments or anything out the ordinary.

Step 5 – Reinstallation

Now it’s time to put everything back. First, inspect the seal areas one last time to make sure they are clean. Next, install your new filter. Finger tighten the bolts. Use your ratchet to finish the job. Tighten them down in a star pattern: left side, then right, then front, then back, and repeat. Don’t over tighten the bolts! Just get them tight enough. After that, do the same thing with you pan and new gasket.

Step 6 – Top off fluids

After you are done, top off your transmission with fresh fluid. Make sure it is the right fluid for your car. For a 1971 Ford C4, I used type F fluid. You may need to let your vehicle get up to operating temperature and recheck your levels to make sure they are still good.

It’s actually a pretty easy thing to do. Just have the right tools, a little bit of confidence, and you can get it done! There is so much more that I have to do to my 1971 Ford Torino 500, so if you want to follow the journey, check out the series on this blog, or check out our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for some exclusive content and updates about what will be happening to this car next! Thanks for stopping by.

Friday, June 9, 2017

If you have a car, there will be a time that you need body work done to it. Maybe you got into an accident, maybe you need something color matched, or maybe you just want a whole new style. There are plenty of places that you can go, but if you're in central Florida, there is only one place: Winter Park Paint and Collision in Winter Park, Florida.

Winter Park Paint and Collision is a shop that I took my car to most recently when I had an unfortunate accident. I’ll give you the quick version: the guys were great, and so was the service. I suppose I will get into the long version.

Right from the start, I knew this place would be good. They had some nice classic cars and high-end cars that they were doing work on. I knew I wouldn’t be turned away or anything though, because they were also working on cheap cars. The shop looked like a real shop: tools and parts here and there. When I got my car back, it was as good as new.

Just to give you a quick example of how awesome they are, let me explain the paint. I have taken my car to shops before to get body work done. This included a Ford dealer (I drive a Mustang). Winter Park Paint and Collision mixes all of their paint in house, and they matched the paint of my car better than the Ford dealer did.

I had the pleasure of chatting with the owner, a real straight-to-the-point man name Dan Jones. He was very easy to get along with, and didn’t mess around. This is an art to him, and he takes it very seriously. So does his team.

“We have a great team. They are very passionate about what they do, and it shows in the quality of their work,” he said to me.

They just recently moved into the current location that they are in. The shop is medium sized. They currently have one paint booth and two lifts. Jones was telling me that they plan to purchase the whole building that the shop is in, and expand.

So, what do these guys do? Don’t go to them for an oil change, but if you need paint and body work, these guys are for you. They do work for insurance companies, dealers, specialty shops, and of course the average Joe.

Safari Heritage Parts in Orlando deals with custom Land Rovers. They use Winter Park Paint and Collision for all of their bodywork. That is just one of the companies that makes use of this top-notch body shop.

What it comes down to is that there are plenty of shops to choose, but if you want a shop that is the best, then Winter Park Paint and Collision is the way to go. Stop by and tell them The Random Automotive sent you!

Monday, May 1, 2017

As always, it’s been ages since my Rotting In Style post, but for this one, a 1981ish Chevy Chevette Scooter! The cheapest of the cheap cars you could get. This time I am back in Skagway, Alaska, my favorite place ever. If you follow my other content like Torino Time, you’ll know that I got a new camera, but this was filmed years ago with my Droid Razr Maxx. WooHoo!

Anyway, again this was the cheapest of the cheap cars. Just over five grand got you this thing back in the day. It was so cheap that the back seats were optional, the bumpers were painted instead of chrome, the chrome trim was all removed from the outside, there weren’t even any arm rests, and the emblems are stickers! This car does have a chrome/plastic strip going down the side of the car, but I think that was aftermarket or custom, because I was only able to find it on one other picture online during my research.

I did find an ad for this car, and it is included in the video at the end of this article. As it’s going through a list of standard features, it clearly says excluding the Scooter. Poor little car. There was also some ridiculous financing available that Arkansas wasn’t happy about.

Now, while it may have gotten decent MPGs, the 1.6L inline 4 made a whiplash inducing 65ish horsepower. Jalopnick did an article on one that found today, these cars now make around 23 horsepower.

I don’t imagine this car would do well in Alaskan winters, but this car was originally from Arizona. Based off where this car is in this lot, and the key is in the ignition, this car is probably still a daily driver. This is Rotting In Style, not Abandoned In Style, and this car is rotting, though not as bad as others have of this year.

There is something really good looking on this car though: the reflection of the mountains. I really love and miss Alaska.

What to see more cars like this? Make sure you head on over and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for some exclusive content! Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, April 17, 2017

I had a little bit of time, and a new camera that I wanted to test out, so that means my 1971 Ford Torino 500 got a little more work done, and Torino Time got another episode. This time, I tackled the windshield washer fluid system.

Now, why did I go for something so minor versus tackling the rust or turn signal? Well, this was easy, and cheap to do. The motor worked, so all I needed was to replace the hoses. Before I started this project, I removed the fluid reservoir, and broke it in the process. I had to seal up the bottom. I time went on, I realized that I didn’t do a great job on that.

Regardless, the old hoses literally fell apart in my hands, so those had to go. I got some cheap hose from Home Depot and went to work. It was pretty straight forward with removal. The hardest part was getting the rubber grommets in the hood out in one piece, which I did manage to do. Then it was equally as challenging to remove the old hoses from those grommets. Basically when the hose was stuck anywhere, breaking them was the answer.

Installation was a breeze. However, I nearly gave up when the reservoir started leaking, and nothing was coming out of the sprayers. I popped one of the hoses off the sprayers, engaged them, and got sprayed with water. So, there was pressure, but it stopped at the sprayers. Turns out, they were painted over.

I sanded the ends down, and shoved a metal pick in the front of them to pry them open. One more test fire, and they worked like a charm. The driver one sprays over the roof, while the passenger one is about half the power. Either way, it works for me!

Want to see my process? Check out the video! Now, I got a new camera, and I am still getting used to the settings. There was a lot that was out of focus. Sorry! I’m a sound guy, not a video guy.

There is still so much more to do with this car, but I would hope that you join me in this adventure. Want to find out what I do next? Follow the series on this blog, or check out our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for some exclusive content and updates about what will be happening to this car next! Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Mustangs are the AR15s of the automotive world. There are so many customizable options. From performance parts, to dress up parts, you name it, someone has made an aftermarket version of it.

Readers may know that I have a 2005 V6 Mustang. It’s my daily driver, and I’ve had it since 2009. Yes, it’s only a V6, but I still love it, and have done many things to make it mine. One of them was an arm rest cover from American Muscle. They offer a few different versions. I opted for the running pony one.

Installation was pretty straight forward. You have to remove the arm rest/top of the center console, fold the cover over it, and use a staple gun to get it into place. The first issue I had was with fitment. The rounded corners at the front seemed too thick, and it started to pull and separate the cushion of the arm rest from the plastic. No big deal. It wasn’t bad enough for me to care.

Once I got it on, it looked fantastic! It really dressed up the car, and I was super happy. That was in 2012.

As time went on the, the stitching started to get dirty. You expect that. What I didn’t expect was for it to start vanishing. Not pulling, but parts of it would simply disappear. Then the leather started to crack and peel. That caused it to poke into my arm. Now, five years and 46,457 miles later, it looks like absolute garbage.

I also can’t just take it off, because remember that pulling I mentioned? That won’t settle back down, so I’m kind of stuck with it.

At this point, as I mentioned, it has been on my daily driver for five years 46,457 miles, and sat in storage at one point for six months straight when I put my car in a garage while I left for a long term contract. It did start to fail after a year or so and got progressively worse.

I attempted to bring this to American Muscle’s attention, but I was ignored. That is highly surprising as they have fantastic customer service. I hate to talk bad about products, especially when they are from companies that I like, but I figured that I would warn anyone interested in this product that it won’t last.

I put about 75 miles on my car per day, it stays outside in the Florida sun, and I open and close the console a lot. However, I would have expected this to hold up a little better, especially considering it started to show signs pretty early. Oh well. I guess you get what you pay for!

Like these kind of reviews? Don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for some exclusive content and updates. Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Yes, I am alive. For the die-hard readers, you know the story: I’m working all the time, and have little time to dedicate to this kind of stuff. Anyway… This video was actually filmed when I fixed my door, but I never got around to editing it.

This 1971 Ford Torino 500 is plagued with rust. One of the first areas I decided to tackle was the trunk. I have never attempted rust removal and treatment on this scale before, so I figured the trunk would be best. Why? So if I mess up, no one will see it!

The right way to do this is replace the gas tank (since it has nine holes in it), grind out all the rusted metal, and weld in new metal. Since I’m cheap, I will be doing none of that. I will be plugging the holes with gas tank putty, sanding down (by hand) the rusty metal, spraying the area with Rust Fix, going crazy with fiberglass patches, and finally priming and painting the area.

When I started this, it proved to be much more challenging than I originally thought. There will be multiple parts to this trunk fiasco.

Basically, this time around was just the sanding and Rust Fix. I got buzzed off acetone and the Rust Fix, and discovered another hole in the gas tank. I did make a lot of progress, but I have so much more to go. If you’re so inclined to see me inhale vast amounts of rust dust before submitting to the common sense of acquiring a mask, please watch the video.

There is still so much more to do with this car, but I would hope that
you join me in this adventure. Want to find out what I do next? Follow
the series on this blog, or check out our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for some exclusive content and updates about what will be happening to this car next! Thanks for stopping by.